Carrier for bottled goods



J. w. O'HARE 6 CARRIER FOR BOTTLED GOODS Filed Sept. 20, 1945 FIG.i.

I; iiii INVENTOR; JAMES W. O'HARE ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARRIER FOR BOTTLED GOODS 1 James W. OHare, Richmond Heights, Mo.

Application September 20, 1945, Serial No. 617,596

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in carriers for bottled goods, and more particularly to a compact, light weight form of handled container to facilitate personal transportation of a small number of filled or empty bottles, for example, bottles of soft drinks.

There have recently been offered to the trade in great numbers, a variety of designs of bottlecarrying plates for the general purpose, characterizing the present improvements. Most of the devices of this type are characterized by bottleneck-receiving slots opening inwardly from the opposite lateral margins of a plate element, so that the bottles, usually six in number, are pendently supported, but free to swing without lateral restraint. In these prevalent types, the bottles are without lateral protection or enclosure of any sort, thus subjecting them to the hazards of impact, and introducing a high probability of their displacement and loss throughbreakage. The

, present improvements accordingly have, as a general objective, the avoidance of each of the several inadequacies of the carriers of plate type, as noted.

A further and important objective of the invention is to attain in a bottle carrier for the general purpose noted, a light weight, attractive, top-open receptacle characterized by lateral, substantially part-cylindrical bottle-conforming concavities which possess the attribute of more or less definitely spacing the bottles from impact with each other while in the case, and at the same time assuring against their vertical displacement when the carrier case is closed in loaded position.

Yet another object of the invention is attained in an'improved arrangement of a bottle-carrying case, formed as to its major enclosing portions, of two relatively displaceable sections conveniently hingedly related, so that the carrier may be easily loaded in an open relation of the sections and quickly closed as for transit purposes.

A still further and important objective is attained in an improved handle structure for a carrier or case for bottled goods, the handle being so formed and mounted and the case so p0rpor tioned in respect to the handle, that the handle may be selectively slidably raised to lifting position, and with a quick'movement, depressed to a position such as to enable a plurality of the filled cases to b stacked, if desired, and so as to occupy but a minimum of space.

Still further important objects are found in improved provisions in the nature of automatic hold-down facilities for the bottles in the carrier which positively preclude their casual or unintended vertical displacement from their seated position in the carrier.

Numerous other advantages including the selection of materials, sanitary features, light weight, etc., will, with the foregoing objectives, become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the improvements, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a filled carrier of six bottle capacity, made in accordance with present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carrier of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof showing the sections of the carrier in closed or operative position;

Fig. 4 is an end View of the carrier with its component sections moved to open or loading position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the hinge structure preferably employed as a connection between the component sections or case elements of the carrier, and as viewed along line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view as taken along line 65 of Fig. 3, showing a preferred form of attachment for movably securing the handle to the body of the case.

Proceeding now to describe the example selected for present disclosure, the body of the carrier or case, as such, is formed of a pair of laterally parting sections generally indicated at It and I I. With these parts in loaded position as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will appear that sections l0 and H are of substantially similar or identical construction, each forming one side of the case, and parting and meeting along a vertical longitudinal plane intermediate the assembly. It is a distinct convenience in loading the case, to provide for relative displacement of the sections, or at least partial displacement thereof, which provision is currently embodied in one or more longitudinal hinges, the opposite hinge plates of which are secured to or molded into the bottom elements of the sections l0 and H. The hinges generally are indicated at 12, and include the hinge plates l3 and I4 and hinge pin l5. It is a preference in constructing the box-like portion of the case, say of a molded thermosetting plastic material, to embed the plates l3 and M at the time of molding, in such manner that all parts of the hinge lie flush with or perhaps below the interior surface of the bottom elements It of thesections l and H. In addition to the bottom portions l6, each of the sections which for economy, may be molded in identical or substantially identical molds, comprises also end walls [1, i8 and side walls and 2|.

A convenient arrangement and design of handle structure consists of a pair of bail-type handle elements 22, each including a curved grip portion 23 and downturned end portions 24. Each of the latter at each of its ends is provided with a slot through which projects at least one but preferably a pair of headed pin elements 26, the diameter of the heads being in excess of the width of the slots 25, so that, now obviously, each of the handle elements 22 is permitted a vertical sliding movement such that the handles may each be lifted to bring its grip portion 23 above the tops of the bottles B a distance enabling easy insertion of the hand under the grip. This uppermost or carrying position is determined by the lowermost of the paired headed pins 26, as it bottoms in the lowermost portion of the coacting slot 25, the raised or operative handle position being shown by full lines in Fig. 4.

As a convenience to minimize the spacerequired for storage of one or a number of the empty carriers and to facilitate stacking of the loaded or empty carriers, the slots and pins 25 and 28 permit lowering each of the handle elements 22 to a position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and such as to bring both handle members to a position such that their grip portions 23 lie flush with or even below the crowns or caps C of the bottles.

It is an important feature of the present invention to provide means for fixing each individual bottle in its predetermined position in the carrier, and to avoid casual impacts between the walls of the bottles incident to their transit. This provision is found in the present example in a series of internally concave zones, areas, or seating surfaces for the sides of the bottles. In a thin-wall case as shown and preferred, this formation, in a molded structure, will result in a similar externally convex conformity. It may be assumed for purposes of present illustration, but without restriction, that the bottles are of circular horizontal section or substantially so, hence, below the flared shoulder portion of each bottle, of a generally cylindrical aspect. In a sixbottle carrier three such concavo-convex portions indicated generally at 30 will be provided in or on each section or half of the box-like case, the top of which as will appear, preferably remains open. It should be further mentioned as a preference that the radius of curvature of the several horizontal arcuate sections of the portions 30, will be substantially the same as the horizontal radii of the bottle, hence these arcs may be drawn on centers along the bottle body axis.

While if desired, the bottle-conforming zones 38 may be of true part-cylindrical aspect, it is a further preference in molding the sectional halves of the carrier case, to make these portions conform to the specific manufacturers bottle design, which in the soft drink trade is often distinguishing of the beverage. To illustratethis feature, a hypothetical design of bottle has been selected and the similarly patterned; case walls include a series of horizontal fragmentary flute portions 31, two of which are shown as located just below the shoulder of each bottle, and two more indicated at 32 in the bottom region'of the container. These fragmentary flute portions are defined and separated from each other by intervening reentrant portions 33 and, in the preferred form of the present case, an exactly similar conformity is imparted to each of the several shaped areas 30. It will thus appear that, for example when the reentrant portions 33 are interfitted by the corresponding portions of the adjacent wall concavity, and the case or carrier sections l0 and H are brought together, vertical dislodgment of the bottles is prevented.

An even more positive agency for bottle holddown purposes is illustrated by Figures 2, 3 and 4, wherein it will appear that each of the side Walls 20 and 2| is, along its uppermost margin, definitely inturned, i. e., deflected toward the interior of the carrier or case, these inturned portions being of bottle-shoulder-conforming shape, hencesnugly overlie the shoulder of each bottle as in the zones indicated at 34. It will be observed, however, that, for example, when the sections or halves 211 and 2| are hingedly separated, as in Fig. 4, the individual bottles may be readily drawn inwardly out of the bottle conforming pockets or recesses 30. I

A considerable variety of materials lend themselves adequately for use in forming up the case sections. In order to impart the distinctive partcylindrical conformities noted, it is of course desirable to mold the case sections. They may thus be formed of a. compressed fiber or other material of cellulosic nature, but it is a preference to mold the sections of a shock-resistant resin, for example, of any of the materials including the melamine resins and other thermosetting or thermoplastic materials, which may, if desired, be fiber-impregnated, as with glass fibers for shock resistance. As thus constructed, the body of the case may be extremely light weight and non-absorbent; may be colored as desired by the addition of pigmenting materials, for example, such that the side walls and hence bottle-conforming areas, are of the same distinctive coloration as the filled bottles of a given manufacturer. Usual molding processes may be employed. V r

The manner of usage, and the numerous advantages incident thereto, are thought to have become fully apparent from the foregoing detailed description of elements and purposes, but it may be noted for completeness that, incident to loading an empty carrier, the sections are first relatively displaced, for example, about the hinge pivot, then loaded, in a six bottle carrier, three on each side,'as will be apparent from Fig. 4. The half case sections are brought together with their edges in abutment along the parting plane, and if necessary, the handle elements 22 lifted to bring their grip portions 23- to thesame height, and with the handles in adjacence; 'In case it is desired to stack two or more of the carriers filled with bottles, the handle elements 22 as noted, are pushed downwardly as is permitted by slots 2! and headed pins 26, to a position wherein the uppermost pins engage the uppermost ends of the slots, which position is preferably such that the handles are brought below the tops of the bottles or at least flush therewith.

Although the invention has been described by making detailed; reference to a selected and preferred embodiment, the detail or description should not be understood as restrictive ofstructural possibilities, many variants being possible within the full intended s'copeof the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my'iirv'entionr f 3 i. A'carrier for bottles of beverage or the like,

including a pair of bottle-enclosing sections, hinge means connecting said sections in at least partly separable relation to facilitate loading and unloading the carrier, each section including one or more laterally concave-convex portions conforming generally to a curved bottle surface over a portion of the bottle height, the side walls of the carrier being characterized by inturned upper marginal portions engaging a sloping shoulder portion of each of the bottles, when the enclosing sections are juxtaposed in bottle-carrying relation, and a lifting handle attached to each of said sections and extending, when said sections are juxtaposed in bottle-carrying relation, above the bottles in the carrier.

2. A carrier for bottled beverages or the like, comprising a box-like container having a top opening, at least certain of the vertical wall elements of the container being formed to provide in each thereof, a concavo-convex portion of such extent as partially to embrace a portion of each bottle snugly over a substantial part of the bottle height, a bottom supporting the bottles, a handle structure for lifting the container and means providing a slidable connection of the handle structure to the container such as to permit the handle to be lifted to carrying position and lowcred when desired, at least to approximate level of the bottle tops, whereby to enable stacking of a plurality of the filled carriers.

3. In a carrier for bottled goods such as soft drinks, a box-like structure having side and end wall portions and a bottom, the vertical wall portions being molded to provide bottle-conforming seats therein, each of said seats being of a generally part cylindrical form and substantially arcuate in horizontal sections, the curvature of such sections being substantially on the horizontal radius of the bottles to be accommodated by the carrier, a handle attached to said end Wall portions for lifting and transporting the carrier, and the box-like structure being provided with inturned upper marginal portions of a shaping to conform substantially to a shoulder area of the bottle, and coacting with such shoulder areas of the bottles in the carrier, for hold-down purposes.

4. A bottle carrier for one or more pairs of beverage bottles or the like, the carrier including a molded, two-section, box-like case, the sections of which part along a vertical median plane longitudinally of the carrier, hinge means connecting the lower margins of the complemental sections, a vertically slidable handle carried by each section adjacent the parting plane of the sections, each handle characterized by a slotted end portion, headed elements extending through the slot in each end of each handle portion, the slots being so proportioned as to permit vertical extension of a grip portion of the handle to a position appreciably above the tops of bottles in the case, and permitting opposite or retracting handle movement to a position such that the grip portion of the handle extends substantially to a position between the tops of the bottles whereby to permit stacking of the filled carriers, the sections constituting the body of the carrier each being of molded construction and each characterized by a plurality of adjacent part cylindrical, bottleengaging and -conforming recesses, the curvature of each such recess conforming substantially to the radius of curvature of the body of a bottle to be engaged and positioned by the recess, each such recessed portion being continued along the upper margin of the case wall, into a portion turned somewhat inwardly of the side wall of the case to embrace the shoulder of the bottle for hold-down purposes, the said hinge means connecting the sections of the body of the carrier, being located to permit a relative pivotal movement of the sections about a longitudinal axis from end to end of the bottom of the carrier.

5. The combination and arrangement of elements as recited by claim 4, but further characterized in that the curved bottle-engaging portions each includes one or more lateral reentrant portions constituting fragmentary horizontal flutes interfitting indented portions of the sides of the bottles, and tending to prevent vertical displacement of the bottles in the case.

JAMES W. OHARE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,265,877 Smith Dec. 9, 1941 2,020,454 Bisbee et a1. Nov. 12, 1935 2,070,399 Goldrin Feb. 9, 1937 2,049,884 Wurster et al Aug. 4, 1936 2,347,807 Booth May 2, 1944 2,378,026 Morgan June 12, 1944 2,365,914 Stigler Dec. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,678 Dutch June 16, 1924 

